Find out about the latest news in Madisonville, Louisiana as well as St. Tammany Parish. We will keep you “tuned in” to all of the information about Southeast Louisiana as well as the real estate industry in general. Many new home buyers are concerned about the market, mortgage information, and builder trends. We plan on keeping you as up to date as possible on these and many more topics. There is a lot going on in the Greater New Orleans area, so you will have plenty to read!

Positive Expectations for Housing Availability

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Many future and current homebuyers are seeing brighter days ahead for the new home construction sales. The Housing Trends Report showed 29% of those who were looking to buy a home felt that they housing availability was better. In fact, there was a 2% increase from the last quarter in 2022 to the second quarter of 2023 from 24% to 26%.

The overall perspective has been more positive among all the regions across the U.S. We saw a big impact from the last quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2023. In the Northeast it increased from 28% to 36%, the West 27% to 34%, the Midwest 19% to 25% and the South 24% to 27%.

Although the regions changed in a positive light in all regions, the changes were more drastic in some regions over others. From the final quarter in 2022 to the second quarter of 2023 the inventory perceptions increased in the Northeast from 26% to 42%, the Midwest from 23% to 28% but in the South it went from 32% to 31% and the West from 31% to 30%.

The Housing Trends Report (HTR) is based on research done by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The goal for the report is to measure perceptions about the availability and affordability of homes for sale in their markets.  The report comes out quarterly.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Everyone Loves Butter Krisp Diner’s Donuts

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Residents in Covington were heartbroken when a storm Spring of 2022 ripped the roof off of Butter Krisp Diner. After fifteen months, the hot spot finally reopened its doors. In fact, the first day back to business the diner sold over 13,000 doughnuts.

The ironic thing about the opening day was it was only supposed to be a soft opening to train the employees according to owner Joseph Bonon III. The soft opening was anything but as the Covington police had to step in to keep U.S. 190 clear as drivers waited in the long line for the drive-thru. Patrons even said they took a long lunch break to wait in the long line for the delicious treats.

“We’ve been here for probably about an hour,” said Kallye Melancon as she waited in line.

“People were used to coming here every day, and they lost it all of a sudden. It kind of tore ’em up. It’s crazy. I’m really happy,” said Bonono about the line outside his diner.

Patrons from all over came to enjoy the scrumptious delights. Ciji Wallace came all the way from Mississippi. “They have doughnuts in Mississippi but they’re not Butter Krisp,” she comments.

Those that go to the diner for the doughnuts can also enjoy a plethora of items on the menu. The 24-hour diner is the perfect place for a late night burger and BLT.

If you haven’t already stopped by for a doughnut that is the same as it was before. “Every ingredient is the same,” Bonobo said.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

A New Owner For Netchex

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GrowthCurve Capital has purchased Covington-based Netchex. Netchex, a leading provider of cloud-based human capital management and payroll software, has been acquired by GrowthCurve Capital.  

Netchex was established in 2003 and is the leading provider of human capital management and payroll software solutions. The company focuses on small to medium-enterprise markets.

“Netchex is one of the fastest growing HCM technology companies in the industry, and we’re proud of the significant differentiation and strong brand that we have developed in the marketplace,” Boudreaux said in a news release. “GrowthCurve is the ideal partner to support the next phase of Netchex’s growth, and their expertise in AI, human capital, and scaling data-centric companies will provide a strong foundation for our vision to make HCM easy, intuitive, and a core value driver for the SME market. We also thank Primus Capital for their partnership and support while they were investors in Netchex.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

A New CEO for Lakeview Hospital

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LCMC Health’s Lakeview Hospital in Covington has a new CEO. Benjamin Richaud, who has more than ten years of experience in healthcare management has been appointed.

“Richaud has a strong background in hospital operations, strategic planning and financial management,” the news release reads. “He has served in various leadership positions throughout his career, including his most recent role as CEO of Baptist Medical Center, a 603-bed, flagship hospital within the Baptist Health System (Tenet Healthcare) located in San Antonio, Texas.”

“Ben is a respected healthcare leader with more than a decade of senior leadership experience,” Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health, said in a news release. “His strategic vision and commitment to patient-centered care make him an ideal fit for Lakeview Hospital.”

Ben holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama Birmingham, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. He is a North Shore native and is very excited to be working in his own community.

A full-service hospital with 167 beds that serve patients from St. Tammany Parish which include Lacombe, Abita Springs, Madisonville, Covington, Mandeville and Slidell. It has a 24/7 emergency room, a heart center, a surgical institute, a rehabilitation center and a behavioral health center.

“As a North Shore native, I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the exceptional team at Lakeview Hospital,” Richaud said in the news release. “I look forward to working with the talented staff and physicians to continue building upon the hospital’s strong reputation as a leading provider of healthcare services in the region.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Tickets Sales to Covington Filmmaker’s Movie Goes to St. Tammany Art Association

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The movie, by Covington filmmaker and photographer Andrew Boyd, is about a retired sugarcane farmer and his family. Joe Judice and his family have been in the sugarcane industry in St. Martin Parish since the 1800’s.

“You spend a career meeting and filming and photographing people, and you know a good story when you see one. This looked like a great story,” says Boyd.

The movie is called Sugar in Their Blood and was funded by Boyd himself. He tells their story through interviews of the family and of professionals in the industry. You learn of the history and challenges of the industry. Joe and his brother Robert own Judice Brothers Farms which opened in 1964 between Loreaufille and New Iberia. The 2,600 acres is now run by Robert’s son Robert Jr. and Joe’s sons Jim and Justin. The family allowed Boyd to film the day to day operations of the farm.

Click Here For the Source of the information.

Better Affordability Brings More Buyers

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The first quarter of 2023 saw 56% of prospective home buyers actively in the process of purchasing a home. This is up from the fourth quarter of 2022 at 46%. This is due to the improved affordability expectations.

With the improved affordability, buyer demand is up as well as the competition. Unfortunately, this leads to potential buyers having a harder time finding the home of their dreams. In fact, 71% have spent 3+ months searching for a new home which was up from the 65% reported in the fourth quarter of 2022.

As for each region, the number of prospective buyers actively looking for a home rose in every region in the first quarter of 2023. The Northeast went from 50% to 63%, Midwest from 42% to 45%, the South from 47% to 51% and the West from 44% to 66%.

These results are derived from the Housing Trends Report (HTR). This report is produced by the National Association of Home Builders’ Economics team. The team measures prospective home buyers’ perceptions about the affordability and availability of homes for sale in their market. The Housing Trends Report runs every quarter to track changes in buyer’s perceptions over time.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.